Hurricane Fran's Approach
Explanation:
Two weeks ago Hurricane Fran,
pictured above, struck the east coast
of the
United States.
Hurricanes are huge swirling storms with cloud systems typically
larger than a state.
Tropical
cyclones, called Hurricanes in Earth's Western Hemisphere and
Typhoons in the Eastern Hemisphere,
get their immense energy from
warm evaporated
ocean water.
As this water vapor cools and condenses, it
heats the air, lowers pressure and hence causes cooler air to come
swooshing in. Winds can reach over 150 miles per hour and become very
dangerous.
Hurricane Fran,
for example, killed more than 30 people and
destroyed many million of dollars worth of property.
Much remains
unknown about cyclones, including how they are formed
and the exact path they will take.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
